Marc Broussard & Kendra Morris bring sweet soul music to St. Louis

So, I’ve found over the years that there are two types of concerts. OK, sure, there are probably more, but just go with it for a minute, alright? There are the kinds of shows that leave you wishing you had just stayed home, gotten some snacks, and watched the season finale of Severance and then there are the shows that have you walking back to your car going, “Damn, now THAT was something special.” On March 20th in St. Louis at Delmar Hall, bayou soul singer Marc Broussard and songwriter Kendra Morris absolutely delivered the latter. By the end of the show, the crowd filled every inch of that room; it felt like I was among a particular group who actually gave a damn about music and wholeheartedly respect the artistry.

There was also an aura of ‘mid-week exhaustion’, if you will. Basically, you could tell that this bunch was ready to forget about the rest of the world for a few hours. Which, let’s be honest, it can be worth forgetting about these days. Delmar Hall really benefits from a particular sweet spot, too, that not all venues can capture. It’s intimate, but you don’t feel like you’re suffocating; it’s loud enough without causing a headache and the overall vibe is warm and eclectic.

It’s exactly the type of venue you want when you’re looking for a soulful serenading.

Typically, an opener has the tendency to sort of just be background noise while you get your drinks, shop the merch table, and find your ideal spot. Which makes it that much better when you hear an opener that has you realizing you could be sleeping on something special if you don’t show up early to shows! NYC based R&B/Soul singer-songwriter Kendra Morris is that something special. From the first song, she had this raw, soulful grit to her that really made you stop and listen. Her voice was big and smokey, full of heartbreak and pain, topped with a welcoming mix of attitude and edge, with a little dash of old-school thrown in. It kinda felt like what would happen if legends like Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu got together for whiskey shots.

By the end of her set, everyone was in it. Phones were down, heads were nodding along, and when it was all said and done, the clapping wasn’t just to be polite, it was full on cheering from a crowd full of new fans, including a young girl discovering what “rockstar status” means in real time.

Up next came Marc Broussard and, if you’ve seen him live before, you already know what’s up. This guy could sing the dictionary and make it sound like a sermon. He strolled out onstage with such an ease and confidence that only comes from doing this for years; I never got the feeling like he was just ‘phoning it in’. Every second of his set had as much heart and energy as the last. He blended classics with new tracks — standard setlist stuff — but what stood out was the genuine love for the fans and the honest dedications made to Marc’s wife, who was also running the merch table. He took a few moments to talk about her and share their story and, sure, it was a little corny, but the best love stories typically are. It echoed the feeling of crashing someone’s love letter; it was the kind of thing that would make you smile, even if you’re a little dead inside. You could tell Marc was feeding off the energy of the audience too, cracking jokes and sharing stories, more of a conversation than a performance.

Not the easiest thing to pull off.

Essentially, the bottom line is this: if you missed this show, then you really did miss out. Marc Broussard isn’t just a great singer — he’s a storyteller. Kendra Morris isn’t just an opening act; she’s one of those ‘I got to see her before she blew up’ type of artists. Concerts like this one remind you why live music is so important. It’s not about perfection, it’s about connection. It’s about a room full of unknowns all feeling the same thing at the same time. Marc and Kendra are providing that on this tour and, trust me, if they come to your city, don’t be the one reading the story the next day. Be the one telling it.

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